Garrison Commander's Opus

MG Colt, SGM Busma, MG Townsend, CSM Lewis, BG Kelley, Chief Brown, BG Bridie, BG Inch, BG Reinert, Mr. Booker, Fellow Command Teams, Distinguished Visitors and Guests, and Friends of the Bagram Garrison – Welcome to our Change-of-Command. Today is not so much about the incoming or outgoing commander. Rather, today is a celebration of the Bagram Garrison Team and an opportunity to recognize them for their incredible works in support of all of the Soldiers, Airmen, Marines, Sailors, Coast Guardsmen, Civilians, and Coalition Partners whom they serve daily. For me it has been truly a humbling honor and privilege to serve as the Garrison Commander for the past eleven months, as I have had the good fortune to lead and serve with some of the finest Patriots I’ve known in my entire career. I will always cherish the time we served together. We’ve truly moved mountains since September of last year.

Our military has been repeatedly defined by inspired leadership – the type of galvanizing example that can literally make the difference between victory and defeat. A stirring example of this type of leadership happened exactly 153 years ago today in Virginia near a place called Manassas Junction. On that hot summer day two untested Armies clashed in what became known as the First Battle of Bull Run. BG Barnard Bee was leading his brigade and finding the going extremely tough. Faced with another relentless attack approaching his front and flank, General Bee saw his men begin to panic and run to the rear. With the very outcome of the battle at stake General Bee rode to the commander of the adjacent brigade, which was comprised of Virginians under the command of BG Thomas J. Jackson. Bee exclaimed, “The enemy is driving us!” Jackson replied, “Then, Sir, we will give them the bayonet!” Inspired by Jackson’s steadfast and unwavering example, Bee rode back to his troops and ordered them to reform shouting “There is Jackson standing like a stone wall. Let us determine to die here and we will conquer. Rally behind the Virginians!” The line held. The tide of battle turned. The outcome soon was no longer in doubt. A legend was born – Stonewall Jackson.

But the inspired leadership of our military isn’t always on the battlefield. Bagram Airfield over the past eleven months is a fitting example. When CSM Bianco and I arrived the base had a population of 36,000 personnel – most of whom lived in wooden b-huts. The base perimeter was not fully enclosed. There was no active IDF defense. The base was a product of 12 years of changing priorities that resulted in 42 subcompounds of necessity – none of which seemed mutually supportive. During my inbrief with MG McConville of CJTF-101 I was given very simple instructions – make the base harder, safer, and smaller. RSM – Resolute Support Mission – was a mere whisper at that point. But by the end of September we were moving forward in partnership with Canadian BG Dave Courbold, who provided the galvanizing rallying cry around the base that helped us mobilize the strategic partnerships and spirit of cooperation that was needed to chisel away at Bagram. There had been 12 iterations of Garrison that had gone before us and all of them generally had the same mission – base operations support – integration. We shared that same mission but it was no longer the priority. RSM became our priority and we centered it on four distinct pillars – Force Protection and Safety, Responsible de-scoping of wooden structures, tents, and NTVs, bringing critical infrastructure online for RSM, and effective command oversight of LOGCAP IV and MILCON projects. Working through strong partnerships across the base, we’ve been highly effective. Bagram is not the same enigma it was in September 2013. We have tamed the beast.

Working in close partnerships with CJTF-101, CJTF-10, 455^th AEW, and the various units tasked with Force Protection of the Bagram Security Zone we have vastly improved Bagram Airfield’s safety and security:

-          The entire perimeter of the base is now hardened and secure where there used to be significant gaps

-          Additional guard towers now provide coverage where there was once dead space

-          Multiple passive defense systems are now in place in areas that were once identified as critically vulnerable.

-          An additional PTDS system now peacefully hovers over the West Side of the base keeping watch over vast stretches of Parwan notorious as point-of-origin for IDF

-          Over 350 additional bunkers have been strategically place around the base to provide our personnel ready protection from IDF

-          Over 200 semi-hardened buildings and RLBs have been strengthened with placement of t-walls, barriers and sandbags

-          An active IDF defense in the form of 11 operational CRAM batteries now provides an umbrella of steel

By closely coordinating law enforcement efforts on the base – MP, CID, TF 2010, SIGAR we have effectively put an end to squatting, eradicated numerous illegal activities and practices, eliminated multiple insider and counter-intelligence threats, and in the process have permanently barred over 800 people from the base. The message is clear now on Bagram that if you break the rules you will be caught and pay the consequence.

Safety of personnel on Bagram has also been significantly improved. Garrison Safety staff worked rapidly and effectively with various tenant units to eradicate all 89 DoDIG Life-Health-Safety issues identified during a 2013 audit of the base. In partnership with multiple units there have been numerous steps taken to eliminate potential SHARP environments in living and working spaces. And the Garrison team earned its first ever Safety of Excellence Streamer in the history of Bagram.

Responsible descoping of the base has been an immense success story. Garrison could not have done this on our own. Every tenant on Bagram played a hand in working with us in reallocating space, relocating personnel, and vacating buildings and tents for CMRE to eliminate. This has also been true for the reduction of NTVs on the base as well.

-          Over 1,500 wooden structures have been removed since October 2013, which is over 65% of the structures identified for destruction.

-          Over 300 tents have also been eliminated

-          Working in tandem with the 401^st we were able to stand up the GSA maintenance bay and motor pool. This allowed a comprehensive 100% registration of all vehicles on the base in October 2013 that since has facilitated the turn-in over over 2,500 vehicles – a 40% reduction in the NTV fleet.

We’ve also made huge strides in critical infrastructure for Bagram, which is essential to the RSM footprint. One of the biggest steps was bringing the base onto Prime Power. This eliminated the spot generation that was required previously. The few facilities remaining on spot generation will soon be added to the power grid. The Bagram sewer system is now under contracted repair and expected to be fully operational in time for RSM this October. This is also true for the fresh-water well system, which will be fully energized by the end of this summer to provide reliable and abundant water to all RSM facilities. In the process, the ubiquitous black and gray water trucks will largely disappear.

And finally, under our command oversight of LOGCAP and MILCON we’ve both kept the base running and have accepted several outstanding facilities from our USACE counterparts.

-          Riverside and New Infantry Villages were rapidly brought into use in December and January after completion by USACE. These IDF-resistant billets allowed the relocation of almost 5,000 personnel from wooden b-huts into safe, permanent billeting.

-          The new Law Enforcement building was fully operational and occupied in less than 30 days from acceptance thanks to our friends from TF Signal and their installation of required comms

-          The Resolute Support Facility now provides full operational capability to USFOR-A as they complete their relocation from Kabul to Bagram

-          Just in the past week we’ve seen the opening of the new Coalition Gym and this morning our new MWR opened for business.

-          Two brand new hardened DFACs – New North and New Koehle are in the process of being built out for use and will be in operation in time for RSM.

-          All the LOGCAP and our partners from Fluor have efficiently and effectively served over 22M meals, washed over 1.5M bags of laundry, dispensed over 128M bottles of water, and issued almost 115M gallons of fuel of all types.

I could go on with statistics but, in reality, there are just too many to cover. Needless to say, it isn’t necessarily sexy work but it is vital. The Garrison Team, partnered with so many of you, has and continues to make this base work and bring RSM to a reality. To that end I want to thank every member of my Garrison family. Each of you volunteered to be here. Many of you already served 20-year careers in our military. You are the best of the best and your work ethic, professionalism, and dedication to our mission is unrivaled. I particularly would like to thank two people – CSM Bianco and Mr. Douglas. I could never have asked for a better command team than what you two bring to the fight day in and day out. CSM Bianco is a fearless warrior who embodies the professional NCO in all he does. Mr. Douglas is a determined and spirited fighter who will partner dogged-determination and common sense leadership on every challenge. You are both combat-multipliers in every situation who I consider my battle hardened comrades for eternity.

Having passed the guidon I have the utmost confidence and faith in not only the Garrison Team but in its leadership moving forward. COL Gradford has already proven herself to all of us as a selfless leader, a warrior, and a truly dedicated logistician. COL Gradford you are the right person at exactly the correct time to take command of the Garrison. I know you will rapidly move upon the foundation we’ve built and take Bagram Airfield to RSM and beyond.

Looking back on the guidance provided by MG McConville on that September day last year, I can confidently report back that we have been successful in our mission. Bagram today is much harder, considerably safer, and much smaller. RSM is within sight. And now with the Garrison Team working in tandem with USFOR-A and TF Trailblazer the progress is moving faster than ever. I leave here satisfied and thankful for the journey that has been Bagram Garrison Command. Thank you Garrison Team, thank you to our leadership from CJTF-10 and USFOR-A, and thank you to the Bagram Community for trusting me with this task. Our time together will always be near in my heart. May all of you return safely soon. Climb to Glory! Mission First! Soldiers Always! Landlord Six, OUT!

The Last 24 Hours of Command

I love Command. Once you get it in your blood it is hard to let go of. But one thing that is a constant about the military is that transition is inevitable. Command tours have an expiration date. Mine came on 21 July 2014. But I enjoyed my final 24 hours of command – savored them actually. The Garrison Team made my final countdown enjoyable and went well out of their way to thank me for the past eleven months. On 20 July we held our Garrison Organizational Day. It was an all-afternoon event that was open to the entire Bagram community. We held the event in the Clamshell across the street from the Garrison HQ. There was plenty of food, entertainment, activities, and giveaways. An Asian-Pacific dance troupe performed a Haka and Hula dance. In spite of the heat and lack of working AC in the tent, there was a huge turnout. About every thirty minutes or so there was a drawing to give away more door prizes contributed by AAFES. There was even near-beer, which is an amazingly scarce commodity on Bagram.

Around 1500 the Garrison Team held a Hail and Farewell to honor both the incoming commander and me. I was extremely touched as each of the Directorates came up and shared a few words about me and presented me with a gift. When I had a chance to speak I dedicated my time to thanking each and every one of them for their incredible efforts over the past year and reminded them of all they’ve accomplished. I managed to avoid the emotions I had bottled up inside. I’m proud of all of them. I cannot thank them enough. It has been a difficult, long, arduous, yet rewarding deployment in which our efforts have been to the benefit of everyone who lives and works on Bagram. The base is now harder, safer, and more compact than a year ago. We accomplished our mission.

On the morning of the change-of-command we gathered for one last group photo in front of the Garrison “t-wall” sign. Then our Commanding General hosted an award ceremony for me and presented my third Bronze Star Medal. After sharing a few more words we headed back to the Clamshell to pass the guidon to the incoming commander. At precisely 1000 on 21 July 2014 we proceeded out to the colors. An exceptional crowd was crammed into the tent. It was the largest crowd I’ve seen all year at any of the changes of command. CSM Bianco passed the Garrison Colors to me and I handed them to the CG, which signified my relinquishing of command. He then passed the Colors to the incoming commander. She then returned them to CSM Bianco. Immediately following that we each spoke for a few moments. The CG spoke first and shared a glowing commentary of thanks and praise for the entire Garrison Team and myself. I then had my opportunity to tell the incredible story of our accomplishments since last September. Then the new Commander spoke very briefly to share her thanks for the opportunity. Just like that the ceremony was over. I’m a free agent again. A steady procession of well-wishers came to greet me and share their thanks and coins. It was an excellent ceremony. AFN was on hand to record the entire event. I believe it was a touching tribute to all of the men and women who have served with me so honorably over the past year.

With the ceremony completed I faded away. It is traditional that the outgoing Commander quickly disappears and allows the new Commander to immediately assume the lead. As I write this I am still in Afghanistan but my days are numbered. The only things I have left to do is pack and wait on my flight. Another successful command is under my belt. We really did some amazing things. I can safely say we accomplished our mission and much, much more. And we are forever comrades from our experience together.

Transitioning

My replacement is here. My time is short and getting shorter. Ever since the incoming Garrison Commander arrived we have been inundating her with meetings, overviews, tours of the base, and getting her fully engaged with all the normal “battle rhythm” meetings that occur. Just like I learned early on, there is way more to being a Garrison Commander than one would think. For me it was the steepest learning curve I’ve ever had taking on a command. But when I arrived back at the beginning of September I was never really provided any transition from my predecessor. My learning began in earnest the day after I took command. I vowed that would not be the case for my replacement. So when I learned she was coming I immediately gave strict guidance to my directorates on my expectations for the transition.  Just like the professionals they are, each of them developed thorough briefings and day-long tours to ensure she was as familiarized with their respective sections as possible PRIOR to taking command. I’ve added in every meeting that I normally attend into the transition period. At this point, there is no stone left unturned. She may not know everything she needs to know but she is vastly more prepared than I was from the outset.

There are three days until the Change-of-Command. My ability to influence Bagram is waning. But I am satisfied at what we’ve accomplished under my watch. I’ll save the details for a future entry. But a simple way to put it now is that Bagram Airfield is infinitely more hardened, reduced, and safer now than the enigma of a giant I took over. I won this stare-down. Bagram blinked.

We stand with the Czechs

We have endured a terrible week. It started with IDF and ended the same way. But the worst came the morning of 8 July 2014. Around 0530 that morning we had an IDF strike that interrupted physical training for a lot of people on the base. Fortunately, nobody was injured and nothing was damaged. But this ominous event would lead to something much more devastating. We have an outstanding contingent of Soldiers from the Czech Republic who assist in patrolling the Bagram Security Zone, which is the area of Parwan Province surrounding the base. After the IDF strike, a Czech patrol was dispatched to inspect the point of origin that was plotted for the rockets. Once they arrived on the scene they formed a security perimeter with their MRAPs and then sent forward a dismounted patrol to inspect the launch site. The Afghan police also arrived on the scene to assist. Meanwhile, a crowd began to gather around the Czech MRAPs. These were mostly young boys who like kids anywhere else in the world were simply fascinated by the military vehicles and burly Czech Soldiers. That’s when tragedy struck. As the dismounted patrol returned to the vehicles a man dressed in Afghan uniform stepped into the middle of the gathered crowd and detonated the suicide vest he was wearing. The explosion killed four of the brave Czech heroes. Also among the dead were eight little boys and several other locals. It was the largest single loss of life suffered by our Czech partners in their entire involvement in this conflict.

Back at Bagram I was holding a welcome briefing for my replacement, who had just arrived the previous day. Announcements on the “big voice” started requesting volunteers of various blood types to immediately report to the hospital. We knew immediately something bad had happened. Several of my Garrison staff asked permission to go to the hospital when they heard their blood type announced. I let them proceed without delay. The reports of what had taken place began to trickle in and it became grimmer by the moment. Soon it was apparent that the worst loss of life incident since I have been here had happened. The mood on the base quickly became somber.

The following night there was a memorial ceremony in the Enduring Faith Chapel. I pray it will be the last one I ever attend. It was the saddest one I have ever been to. The entire ceremony was in Czech but it made no difference to the American personnel who were there to pay their respects. Though we may be a language apart we are comrades in this fight. The Czech Soldiers who made comments were deeply shaken by this tragedy. Their voices quivered as they spoke. The tears came freely. Make no mistake about it, these are tough fighters and highly professional Soldiers. We understood their emotions and the love they shared for their fallen heroes. Only those who serve truly understand how close the bonds we form really are. When we lose someone it can be more emotional than even the loss of a blood relative. As the memorial concluded my CSM and I followed the procession of command teams who moved forward to show their respect. We stood at attention looking into the eyes of the four men’s photos looking back at us. We slowly saluted. Then we kneeled forward and left a command coin for each of them. Our hope is that their families will look to the coins we left and know with great pride the appreciation so many have for the sacrifice of their sons. I know from spending the evening with their comrades that they were deeply loved and will be sorely missed. As General George Patton said about the death of one of his Officers during the Battle of El Guettar, “I cannot understand why such brave men have to die. There are so many battles yet to fight.”

The following morning we gathered on the tarmac to see the four heroes begin their journey home. A Czech Air Force plane stood ready to take them onboard. Slowly the procession carried the four heroes to the aircraft. Each of their caskets was proudly adorned with the Czech standard. They have now gone home to their country and their families. I know the grief of their families and nation must be overwhelming and I pray for the healing to come in mending their hearts and leaving the happy memories upon which their love may endure. The Soldiers of their unit have now gone back to their business. They know that the success of their mission will be the proudest legacy they can leave in honor of the brave four who paid the ultimate sacrifice on the morning of 8 July 2014. May God richly bless all of them and may He place His loving arms around them and the families of the brave fallen heroes.

Celebrating Independence Day

Independence Day dawned on Bagram bright and hot. The wind was blowing as usual. Dust was getting kicked up and into the faces of everyone who ventured outdoors. I announced the day before for my Garrison personnel to plan to enjoy all of the festivities that were scheduled. I specifically worked out over lunch just so I could enjoy the celebration without interruption. That afternoon the good folks from the USO and AAFES put on a full slate of fun at the Clamshell tent. It included a cookout, games, giveaways, music, and other craziness. I was very pleased to find it well-attended. In spite of the heat, and the fact that the Clamshell is not air-conditioned, personnel from all over Bagram were enjoying celebrating the birthday of our great nation. I was going to eat a hotdog or two just for tradition’s sake but, unfortunately, the hungry masses had cleaned out the chow by the time I arrived.

When the daytime event ended it was followed by some more formal activities at the giant C130 hanger. At 1800, the U.S. Forces-Afghanistan Commanding General hosted a giant reenlistment for 100 personnel from Bagram. Immediately afterward, AAFES held a drawing for a new car. The winner could choose either a Ford F150 pickup or a Mustang. The winner, an Army Captain, chose the Mustang. He explained that he already had an F150. Once the AAFES stuff was cleared from the stage the next part of the festivities began. The music group Vertical Horizon had come to Bagram just for the evening and enthusiastically took the stage. I personally had never heard of them. I stayed for a couple of songs but realized pretty quickly it wasn’t my vibe for music. So I made a stealthy exit and headed over to the Russian control tower to join my Air Force counterparts for cigars. It was a good call on my part and I quickly settled in to a relaxing conversation with my friends. The old Russian tower has a commanding view of the west side of the base and the flight line. It is a cool place to hang out. But around 45 minutes into my cigar a loud boom sounded very close by to the west of the tower. We jumped up and looked, all the while wondering if it was a controlled detonation and, if so, why no announcement had been made. Then in the distance we saw the flash, followed by the loud report, of a rocket being launched at the base. The IDF alarm sounded. We quickly scurried down the steep ladder down into the protected part of the building. For some reason the C-RAM didn’t engage. The stupid Taliban had brought the “rockets’ red glare” to our Bagram Independence Day celebration. My cigar night was abruptly ended, as was the Vertical Horizon concert.

I headed down to the Joint Emergency Operations Center to read the storyboard on the attack. Nobody was hurt. It was just some superficial damage. After getting a 100% accountability from my Garrison team, I called it a night. My half-smoked cigar was still in my hand. I threw it away.  It was a memorable day spent honoring the birth of the United States. This will be the last time I celebrate this event in a hostile country.

An Early Christmas Present

Something happened that came straight out of left field. I didn’t see it coming, nor did my subordinates. It was met with very mixed feelings that ranged from surprise to disappointment. But in the end I came to regard it with a feeling of relief. I won’t keep you in suspense any longer. My replacement, or “backfill” as we call them here, was scheduled to arrive at the end of August. That changed. About a week ago I was in a routine meeting with my Commanding General covering a variety of Garrison-related topics. Towards the end of our discussion we got on the topic of future manning for the Garrison. I was in the process of assuring the CG that although we were going through a period of high turnover (a bunch of my staff have reached completion of their tours), there was a backfill for everyone scheduled to depart over the next few months. Then I even brought up the backfills for CSM and me. That’s when he said, “Well, actually your backfill is coming earlier than planned.” I sat back for a moment in almost shock and said straight up that I found that to be disappointing news. He acknowledged and understood why I would say that but assured me that it was in no way a performance-related issue. Instead, it was simply due to the fact that the new sourcing command for my position got their signals crossed on when my backfill was supposed to be here. Once the orders were cut, my CG elected to let it ride since it was so close to the end of my tour. As it stands, I’ll be at eleven months out of twelve when I hand the guidon to my replacement.  So my early Christmas present is that I’ll be leaving Afghanistan sooner than expected. Towards the end of next month we will hold a change-of-command ceremony and I will exit Bagram stage right. It’s a bittersweet thought, as I love command so much and we have such momentum right now on so many different priorities. But I also understand that these kinds of things happen in the military all the time and that it is just business, never personal. The more I’ve thought about this since I got the news the more at peace I’ve become. I’ve been doing my ‘round-the-world combat tour stuff for years now and, quite frankly, I’m growing as weary as our military is of war. I’ve seen the United States all of seven months over the past three years, with six and a half of those months coming all at one time. I’m cool with going home – finally – and getting on with normalizing my life, living without the gnawing in my gut that the IDF alarm is about to sound or the fear of having to witness another event like what happened last Thanksgiving. I miss my family back in the beautiful mountains of Avery County North Carolina.

Later that day I gathered my primary staff around and told them the news. They were shocked. Every face was very long. I could feel their disappointment and took it for what it genuinely was – a sincere show of their loyalty and love for me as their commander. It is a mutual feeling we all share. I’ll miss my team when I leave. I will have a cold beer for all of them soon and we’ll make that talk of a reunion a reality.

100 Days of Wind

Somebody told me several months ago that I’d know when spring gave way to summer because the rain would stop and the wind would begin. I don’t remember who it was that told me this. He was well informed. It’s aptly referred to as the “100 Days of Wind”. Back in early May when I returned from R&R there were still frequent thunder storms and late night rain. We even had a massive hail storm. But as May transitioned to June the rains tapered off. That’s when the wind started. It has been windy every single day. Sometimes the wind blows in gusts so hard they literally stop me in my tracks. They gusts have even been known to knock me backwards (I’m not a really big guy). What I find amazing is that the wind just keeps on blowing. I think we’ve had a wind for about 40 straight days now. It the count is correct, I can expect the wind to stop blowing about two weeks before I redeploy. It’s not dust storms like what many of us experienced in Iraq. Those terrible things would block out the sun and choke the life out of anyone dumb enough to remain outside. No, the wind here just serves as a nuisance. It blows up grit and garbage and makes outdoor physical training a challenge. But, fortunately, there are no roving clouds of impenetrable dust descending upon Bagram. It’s just windy.

Another big difference from my days in Iraq is the temperature. By this time of summer in Iraq the temperatures would be soaring above 130 degrees. We’ve only been topping out in the 90’s here. It’s actually downright nice at night, with temperatures in the low 60’s. I don’t know if it is going to remain this pleasant but we certainly hope it does. Anyway, I hope it does. Anything that can take the edge off of being at Bagram is always welcome.